Sarah Ferguson reveals brutal royal snub that made her feel worthless | Royal | News

Sarah Ferguson’s relationship with the Royal Family has almost collapsed in recent months, with her evicted from her Berkshire home and stripped of her titles along with ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. But King Charles’ attempt to quash speculation about the Firm’s links to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, with whom he had a friendship and long-running correspondence with both Andrew and Sarah, is far from the first sign of rift between the former Duchess of York and her royal family. Prince William, who was reportedly the driving force behind Andrew’s exclusion, appears to have been estranged from Sarah for more than a decade, dating back to their 2011 wedding when she was visibly absent.

The 66-year-old, who split from Andrew in 1996, was forced to watch her husband and their two daughters Eugenie and Beatrice attend lavish celebrations and even traveled abroad to escape the nationwide fanfare. “I wasn’t invited and I chose to go to Thailand and be in a place called Camelia and… the jungle embraced me,” she told Oprah Winfrey that year.

She added that the Prince and Princess of Wales’ decision to remove her from the guest list left her feeling “completely worthless” but admitted it was “quite right they didn’t invite me” after she was caught offering an undercover reporter access to her husband for £500,000 in a scandalous sting operation.

“It was very difficult. I wanted to be there with my daughters, dress them and go as a family,” she continued. “It was also very difficult because I was the last bride down that aisle.”

The former duchess said Andrew reassured her by reminding her of how “perfect” their wedding day in 1986 was, a nod to the unusual dynamic that saw the couple live together at the Royal Lodge from 2008 until their eviction this year.

“I felt like I was ostracizing myself because of my behavior, living with regret for my past mistakes,” Sarah said during the bombshell TV interview. “I was wearing a hair shirt and I was beating myself up most of the day, ‘Why did I make such a mistake? Why did I make so many mistakes?’ “I was thinking and regretting it.”

But he took solace in comparing his absence from William and Kate’s big day to that of the future king’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a car crash in 1997.

“I really like the feeling that Diana and I aren’t there,” he told Oprah. “But I’m here to tell you how proud she would be and that Kate looks absolutely beautiful.”

Both Sarah and Andrew were left off the guest list for Christmas Day at Sandringham in Norfolk this month after celebrating elsewhere last year.

For the first time in decades, Sarah attended the Christmas service with Andrew, their children and royal relatives in 2023; It was reported at the time that Charles was trying to mend the fences; this was something he was now openly advised against.